Anne Minard has been a professional journalist and writing teacher for more than a decade. She believes good writing requires hard work, but it yields an amazing payoff: the ability to communicate more effectively – and be better understood – in all aspects of life.
When Back2Basics clients went on their outdoor adventure in the Gila wilderness this week, they were packing a little extra weight — notebooks and a sheet of paper outlining their first writing assignments. That’s right! We’ve got them backpacking, surfing, climbing, and learning Kung Fu. Now, they’ll be writing.
Here’s why: People involved with Back2Basics are encouraged by the success of the clients. They’re returning to their lives and communities stronger, healthier and more ambitious than ever to complete academic degrees and make professional contributions. We want them to feel as prepared as possible for those bold and healthy steps. On April 9, we’ll begin offering weekly writing classes to our clients because we think writing is a skill that will help open doors for them.
Not sure where to start? Every recovery journey is different—we can help you find the right path.
Explore What We Can Do →A sweet thing happened today. I stopped by the house to find the clients relaxing between a busy morning of academic and recovery-related activities. I was there to pick up their notebooks, in which they’ve responded to an essay prompt so I can get a writing sample as a starting point for the class. One of the clients got my attention: “I’m graduating in three weeks,” he said. “Can we have a class on resumes before I go?” I’m not sure why I found this so touching. Maybe it’s because I’m happy that I have something to contribute to this heartfelt effort at B2B to turn young lives around. Maybe it’s also because on some level I know how far this young man has come — from a destructive path to a happy and productive one. I wonder if he realizes it. Maybe after the first class, on resumes, I’ll get to see him write about that.
— Anne Minard, B2B newsletter editor, contributing writer and writing coach
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